$100 to Sleep on Your Garage Floor

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You may not get much, but $100 to sleep in a garage is a New York bargain. (Al Bello /Allsport)

Updated at 10:18 AM EST on Tuesday, Nov 11, 2008

If Christopher McCandless had shunned his great trek into the Alaskan wilderness, replacing his travels with a quest for a month-long residency in a garage in Manhattan, would he have taken to Craigslist to hunt for such invaluable lodgings? That's the question I'd like to pose to Danh Le, an urban McCandless on the hunt for a $100 housing deal.

In a Craigslist post that sounds more of an idealistic, urban dream than a classified listing, Danh states, "I want to get rid of my expensive rent and be semi-homeless...Could I sleep outside in your backyard?"

He goes on to acknowledge that in these dire times, perhaps the extra cash would come in handy, saying "I know the economy is bad so maybe you would like some extra money. I want to believe that there are people who are willing to help a person in need. I have up to $100 to spend on housing a month."

Armed with a sleeping pad, a large book bag of supplies, and a "lot of knowledge skills", Danh offers his services, which include the ability to "clean your house, cook, pick up your dry cleaning, movie tickets, make reservations, wait in long lines, food shopping, walk your dog, water your plants, house sit, pick up your mail, research work on the computer etc". Also, noting that he's "cut with a six pack", he says his specialty lies in personal health.

For all this and more, that $100 gets you a transient friend, life coach, nanny and maid who requests only music and internet access. Forget Alaska. Danh, I don't technically have roof nor yard access, but with this package deal I will gladly bury you in leaves and throw an Ethernet cable out the window. These are dire times.